Remember when Evanescence was the biggest former Christian band turned pop-goth group in the country? Remember when Amy Lee used to front that band? Yeah, well all of that is over. After the band achieved success on the pop charts, Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody left the band due to “artistic differences” with Lee … and then the rest of the band followed suit. Amy Lee held on to the band name and then … disappeared. Now, the former members of Evanescence (sans Amy Lee, obvs) have teamed up with former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson to create a new band called The Fallen. Coincidentally (or mebbe not), The Fallen was the title of Evanescence‘s big break-out album. A formal announcement of this new band will come on Monday but here is our first look at the newly created band:

American Idol powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson is joining the original guys of Evanescence, who are relaunching as a hard-rock band called The Fallen. They’ll make a formal announcement Monday in Hollywood, with a news conference and their first live performance. Debut song Bury Me Alive will be available at that time for free download at wearethefallen.com. The lineup consists of Smithson and three of the four original members of Evanescence — guitarists Ben Moody and John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray — as well as bassist Marty O’Brien, whose recording and touring credits include Disturbed and Kelly Clarkson. “This all happened by accident,” says Smithson, who sang Evanescence’s Bring Me to Life during the 2008 Idols Live tour. She’s friends with Moody’s housemate, Monique Morrison. “I met him once or twice (at the house) before the band thing,” says Smithson, who had been working on a solo project. Though Smithson and Moody both shared similar visions with Morrison for bands they wanted to form, Moody wasn’t ready to bite. “I’m sometimes hard-headed, and it took me a while” to give the Idol a shot, Moody says. But when another artist persuaded him to check out YouTube videos of Smithson performing, “I just kind of freaked out.” Moody called Morrison and asked her to arrange a meeting. “She happened to be with Carly and said, ‘We’ll be there in 20 minutes.’ “Carly is a rock star,” he adds. “She was one of us.” … The new group’s name alludes to Evanescence’s 2003 major-label debut album, Fallen, which has sold 7 million copies in the USA. Moody left Evanescence shortly after Fallen, citing creative differences with singer Amy Lee. LeCompt and Gray followed in 2007. Lee continues to perform under the Evanescence name, though the group hasn’t released an album since 2006. The Fallen plans to tour in September and initially will release its songs in small doses every few months, Moody says, “so there’s always new music and new reasons to come to another show.”

While I don’t necessarily think the pop-goth thing is gonna work the second time around I can respect the band for giving it another go. I understand that the Evanescence guys were none too pleased with the way that Amy Lee commandeered the spotlight and made the success all about her. I can say with utmost honesty that the worst concert I ever witnessed was an Amy Lee fronted Evanescence concert. My friends and I saw them perform at The Greek Theater back in November of 2007 and hated every second of it … the crowd booed when it was over. I suppose I should send out good luck vibes to The Fallen on their attempt at making another go of it … I’m just glad that Amy Lee remains in hiding. Click HERE on Monday to download the debut single Bury Me Alive on Monday.

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